The Road to the Final Destination
by iWriteCrosslegged
Summary: Unable to deal with the life she was put into Clary Fray leaves her life behind and escapes, knowing that they will find her soon enough. Jace Herondale, the guy that everyone knows & also the guy that wants to get away from reality. Would it be a coincidence if they both ended up on a grey bus heading in the same direction? But secrets eventually come out sooner or later...
1. Chapter 1

**The Road to the Final Destination **

_Welcome to The Road to the Final Destination! I really hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I liked to write it. _

_I give all credit to the characters of The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare for her amazing talent at creating such fantastic fictional people._

_Anyway... Enjoy!_

_-iWriteCrosslegged _

Chapter One

The road stretched out ahead of the grey bus as it travelled down the road from cities to cities. I sat staring out of the misty window; steamed up because of all the bodies packed into the small confined metal space.

I didn't pack much. A small grey backpack sat beside me containing several changes of clothes, a photo of me and my brother and the money that I had spent years trying to save up for this moment. What is this moment you ask? I'm not quite sure myself. It's the beginning of my freedom, the beginning of the new me, the beginning where I can leave the past behind and let the future turn me anyway it can. It's the moment where I can finally break free of the life that I was too scared to disobey. The life that turned nightmares into reality.

From the age of 7 I couldn't remember which days were Mondays and which days were Saturday. I never went to school or had any friends. I wasn't allowed any luxuries like that. From the age of 8 I could take care of myself better then most 24 year olds can, but still I was stuck in the place most call home but I call hell. When my parents died when I was barely 6 years old I was put into foster and then at the age of 7 I was adopted into the Morgenstern family.

The rain drops fell in a steady rhythm, tapping against the window as the last of the sun disappeared behind the horizon. In roughly two hours I calculated that we would be arriving in California, although I was still a bit rusty with my geography. My mind flashed back to my brother, the adopted one who considered me to be a part of the family when the others didn't. I never really knew my real parents, they were just a faded memory in black in white that was out of focus and I never did have any other siblings apart from the ones in the Morgenstern family. I wouldn't call myself a Morgenstern, I never have. You would expect that at the grand old age of 19 I would have already experienced enough to set me up for writing a book, but you'd be wrong. At the age of 19 I finally faced my fears and left. I know they are searching for me, and when they do find me, not if, I know that at least I got to experience a little bit more before they end me for good this time. I'm not a Morgenstern and I never will be. I'm a Fray and I always have been. I'm Clary Fray and no one can take that away from me.

_**T**__hank you for reading the start of The Road to the Final Destination, I hope you enjoyed it!_

_Sorry this chapter is only short but it is just to give some background information on Clarybefore the real drama starts happening!_

_Please review and tell me what you think and continue reading the following chapter that are coming your way!_

_-iWriteCrosslegged _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The day I left, the day everything changed was now over two days ago and by now they were probably on my trail. I had that itch in my head that compelled me to get up. And so I did. It told me to put on my shoes, pack a small bag with my things, the only things I actually owned and so I did.

There was no real logic or any sense of purpose except that I knew I had to do something other than what I was doing, or I might not make it through this. Or, I might end up like my parents.

I always thought that fear was so overrated, the way people toss the world around . I never like to see someone hurting, but I watched myself for years. But I admit whenever I heard someone play the fear card, I'd roll my eyes and go about my business. But that was before I experienced it myself and understood what it really felt like. Little did I know that fear is a serious disease.

I spent most of the night at the bus station praying that I could get away before they knew I was gone. I sat there waiting for that itch to tell me what to do.

And then I walked up to the counter.

"Can I help you?" the woman said blankly.

I thought about it for a second and said, "I'm going to see my sister in California because she just had a baby."

She looked at me awkwardly, and I admit, it felt awkward. I don't have a sister and I've never been to California but I was hoping to get as far away as possible.

I thought, once I get to California I'll just buy another ticket to somewhere else. Maybe I'll go to Texas or Washington. It wouldn't make a difference, just as long as I kept going and didn't look back.

That was just over two days ago, when I decided to just get up and go ,to break free from everything. I had always wanted to do it, to break free, but I never imagined it happening like this. I never imagined my life happening like this.

The world slips by my window in a blur. Night falls and eventually I fall asleep, too. I don't have any dreams; haven't had a single dream since I was 7. Why would I need to have nightmares when I was living in one? I haven't had a single dream since the night that my parents died, but it's probably better that way. If I have dreams they might provoke emotion and I'm done with emotion. I'm starting to get used to this feeling of not caring about anything other than getting away. Aside from a few shady bus station dwellers, I'm really not afraid of anyone but them anymore. When I was younger I was afraid or everyone, but now, I know there is only them that can really scare me and make me believe that fear is real. I guess it kinds of make fear your bitch.

I never used to curse this much, either.

I ride all the way for an hour with double seats to myself, finally getting to lay more horizontally across the seats instead of upright with my face pressed against the window.

Everything looks the same. The only thing that seems to change is the license plates of cars. There's always s guy wearing a wife-beater carrying a gas can from his truck to the nearest exit where all the gas stations and fast food restaurants congregate. And there's always, always a single show on the side of the road somewhere.

The hour drags by endlessly and when my next bus finally pulls into the station, I'm among the first small group of people to get up and stand in line. At least the seats on the bus have padding and I'll be able to get somewhat comfortable again.

The bus driver reaches out for my ticket and tears of his portion, handing the rest back to me. I tuck it safely into my bag and board the bus, searching both rows of seats to find the one that feels like the one. I take a window seat near the back and instantly feel better once my body hits the comfort of the padding beneath me. I sigh and hold my bag close against my stomach, crossing my arms over it. It takes ten minutes or so for the bus driver to be satisfied that he has all the passengers he's supposed to have for this round.

The driver goes to close the doors but then pulls back on the lever and they squeal open again. A guy gets on carrying a black duffle bag on his shoulder. Tall, stylish short blonde curly hair and he's wearing a tight-fitting navy tee and a sort of crooked smile that could either be genuinely kind, or something more confident.

"Thanks," he says to the driver in that laid-back way.

Even though there are plenty of empty seats for him to choose from, still I make it a point to slide my bag over onto the one next to me, just in case he decides it's the one for him. It's not likely, I know, but I'm a just-in-case kind of girl.

The doors squeal shut again as the guy walks down the aisle toward me. I look down into the magazine that I'd found inside the terminaland started reading an article.

I sigh with relief when he passes me up and takes the pair of empty seats behind me.

I doze off after staring out the window next to me for a while.

_The story has just got up and going now. I will add a chapter whenever I can!_

_I really hope you enjoy the story! KEEP READING!_

_Remember to review_

_-iWriteCrosslegged_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Muffled headphone music blaring right behind me wakes me up sometime in the dark.

At first, I just sit here, hoping maybe he'll notice the top of my now fully awake head bobbing over the seat and decide to turn the music down.

He doesn't.

I lean up, reaching back to rub a crooked muscle in my neck from sleeping on my arm and then I turn around to look at him. Is he asleep? How can anyone actually sleep with music blasting in their ears like that ? The bus is pitch dark except for a couple of dim reading lights shinning down onto books and magazines from above the passenger' seats and the little green and blue lights at the front of the bus in the driver's dashboard. The guy sitting behind me is covered by darkness but I can see one side of his face lit up by moonlight.

I contemplate it for a second and then push myself up with my knees on the seat and I lean over the back of it, reaching out and tapping him on the leg.

He doesn't move. I tap him harder. He stirs and slowly opens his eyes, looking up at me hanging over the top of the seat.

He reaches up and pulls the earbuds from out of his ears, letting the music funnel from the tiny speakers.

"Mind turning it down a little?"

"You could hear that?" he says.

I raise a brow and say, "Uhhh, yeah, it's pretty loud."

He shrugs and thumbs the MP3 player for the volume button and the music fades.

"Thanks," I say and slide back down in my seat.

I don't lie across the seats in the fetal position this time, but lean against the bus and press my head back against the window. I cross my arms and close my eyes.

"Hey."

My eyes pop open, but I don't move my head.

"Are you asleep yet?"

I raise my head form the window and look up to see the guy hovering over me.

"I literally just closed my eyes," I say. "How can I already be asleep?"

"Well, I don't know," he whispers. "My granddad could fall asleep in two seconds flat after closing his eyes."

"Was your granddad narcoleptic?"

There's a pause. "Not that I know of,"

Wow, this is awkward.

"What do you want?" I ask as quietly as he had.

"Nothing," he says grinning down at me. "Just wanted to know if you were asleep yet."

"Why?"

"So I can turn back up the music."

I think about it for a seconds, uncross my arms and lift the rest of the way from the seat, turning at the waist so that I can see him.

"You want to wait until I'm asleep to turn the music back up so you can wake me up again?" I'm having a hard time getting this.

He smiles a crooked smile.

"You slept for a while without it waking you up." he says. "So, I'm guessing it wasn't my music that did it, must've been something else."

My eyebrows draw together thinking about if I'm found by them. "No, I'm pretty sure I know it was the music that did it."

"Ok," he says, slipping away from the seat and out of sight.

I wait for a few seconds before closing my eyes in case this might get weirder and when it doesn't, I drift back into the Land of No Dreams.

_I'm really sorry that it's only short but I will try to post as much as possible to keep the story going. Please review and I hope you are enjoying the story so far!_

_-iWriteCrosslegged_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

My eyes pop open as the bus falls into the slow lane and pulls up into a station. Turns out my calculations were as good as a legless dog that loves to run. The driver announces that in just over 2 and a half hours we should be arriving at the final stop on the coast of California through the crackly speakers.

I yawn loudly stretching my sore muscles into the isle of the bus only to hear chuckling from behind me. I blush ten shades of red and slowly turn my face towards the muffled laughter hoping to god that the tomato look has been cooled down.

"Someone looks a little tired." Music guy says as he leans over the top of the seat and grins.

I just continue to stare at him. In the light you can see his well chiselled jaw and straight nose, but what caught me most of all was his piercing gold eyes that bored into my skin without even touching me.

He continues to grin that over confident smile and raises and eyebrow. "Like what you see?"

I blush furiously, probably turning into a bright florescent tomato that had been cooked too long. I roll my eyes and thankfully say in a smooth voice, "As much as seeing that dead rat on the side of the road." I point out the window to a rat that was indeed dead and utterly disgusting on the pavement. I cringe and turn around slowly until I was once again facing him. He totally just caught me checking him out, not like I was hiding it or anything but believe me, he is far from that dead rat on the side of the road.

He grins flashing his perfect teeth and laughs loudly causing a few heads to turn on the bus around us.

"What's so funny?" I ask scrunching up my nose at him.

His eyes sparkle with delight. "You." He states and gets up off of his seat and makes his way down the isle with everyone else until he got outside into the bus station. The driver had told us that we had about half and hour before the bus would make the final stretch to the last destination.

Slinging my bag onto one shoulder I made my way off of the bus and sighed as the warmth blanketed around me. Smiling slightly I made my way to a vending machine on the left hand side of the building and looked at the selection. All that was inside was junk food. I crinkle my nose in disgust and plop myself down on a metal chair beside it.

"What's wrong with you?" Music guy says close to me. I jump and narrow my eyes at him as he sits down beside me with a coke and a bar of some sort.

"Nothing." I say sagging into the chair.

"It doesn't look like nothing," he says. "You practically just gave the vending machine a kicking.

I rolled my eyes dramatically. "I did not just give the vending machine a kicking." I say to him.

He mocks hurt, "How could you kick it? How? It is filled with delicious goods!" He puts a hand over his heart and scrunches up his eyes but I can see a slight smile at the corner of his lips.

I laugh at his dramatic speech. "There is defiantly no tasty goods in there." I say and glance at the junk filled machine to my right.

He peels his eyes open and looks shocked. "No tasty goods in there? Have you seen it?"

I sigh, "Yes I have. All it's filled with is junk food."

He looks questionably at me, "So you don't like junk food?" He asks.

"No." I reply shortly.

He sits there for several seconds before opening his can of coke and taking a huge gulp.

I glance at him sideways and scrunch up my nose in disgust. He stretches the can in my direction and I squirm away. "No thanks." I say.

He chuckles and shrugs his shoulders, unwrapping whatever else he had to eat. "Your loss really." He says.

"I highly doubt that." I say and relax into the seat a bit more.

He scoots closer to me on his seat and settles down the empty can and wrappers on the seat the other side of him. "So why California?" He asks turning his body fully to face me.

"I'm going to see my sister," I lie. "She just had a baby.

He nods.

"Why California?" I ask, hoping to divert the conversation off me and onto him.

"Going to visit my brother, Jon," he says. "He's dying. Inoperable brain tumor." He looks into my eyes and I feel the love for his brother poor out of his.

"Oh… I'm sorry." I say sadly and look at my hands on my lap.

"Don't worry about it," he says, glancing down at his lap before bringing his gaze back to mine. "We all gotta go at some point. My brother isn't worried about it and told us not to be, either." He smiles and looks around quickly. "Actually, he told us that if we do any cryin' bullshit, that he'd come back from the dead and haunt us."

"I have a brother too." I say but afterwards regret it when the subject comes back to me.

"Yeah?" He says. "What's his name?"

"Sebastian." I say and fiddle with the strap of my bag.

He nods. "What's your name?" he asks, crossing his legs at his ankles as he stretches them out in front of him.

I wonder if I should give him my real name. "Clary," I say, settling on the short version.

"Short for what?"

I didn't expect that.

I hesitate, my eyes trailing. "Clarissa," I admit. I figure with all the lies I'm going to have to keep track f, I might as well be truthful about my first name at least. It's one less-significant piece of information I don't have to remember to keep under wraps.

"I'm Jace. Jace Herondale."

I nod and smile slimly, not about to tell him my last name is Fray. He'll have to make do with the first-name-basis only.

As he pushes his arms above his head and stretches his body I secretly study him and notice the bottom of a tattoo poking out from underneath both sleeves of his t-shirt. He can't be older then is early twenties, if even that.

"So how old are you?" It still felt to personal of a question. I hope he doesn't read something in it that's not there.

"Twenty-two," he says. "What about you?"

"Nineteen."

He glances at me ponderingly, pauses and then subtly purses his lips.

"Well, it's good to meet you, nineteen-year-old Clary short for Clarissa heading to California to see her sister who just had a baby."

My lips smile but my face doesn't. It'll take a while before any of my smiles directed at him can be genuine. Genuine smiles can sometimes give the wrong impression. At least this way, I can be civil and kind, but not civil kind who after a few big smiles ends up in a trunk with their throat slit. Belive me, I would know.

"So are you from California?" I ask and once again fiddle with the strap on my bag.

He nods once. "Yeah, was born there. What about you?"

I contemplate on telling him the truth but decide not to. "Kansas." I say.

He looks me over. "Well, you don't look like your from Kansas."

Huh? Ok, that was really weird. I feel myself pale slightly but hope he doesn't notice. I shrug.

"Normally people from Kansas are outspoken." He says.

I crinkle my nose at him.

With harmless humour he says, "Some people just can't deal with that kind of shit. Its like, you ask that guy over there if your ass looks big in those jeans and he'll tell you, no. You ask me, and I'll tell you the truth-anything out of people's usual expectations throws them off track."

I'm not any closer to understanding this guy's personality than I was before but I knew his name. "Really?" I ask continuing to look at him like he's sort of nuts and I'm sort of intrigued by it.

"Really," he answers matter-of-factly.

I wait for him to elaborate, but he doesn't.

"You are really strange," I say.

"Well, aren't you going to ask?"

"Ask what?"

He laughs, "If I think your ass looks big in those jeans."

I feel a grin spread across my face.

"I'd rather not… I uhh-" Screw this times two. If he's going to pay games, I'm not going to sit back and let him win all the hands. I smirk at him and say, "I know my ass doesn't look big in these jeans, so I don't really need your opinion."

A devilishly handsome smiles sneaks up at the corners of his mouth. He goes to his feet, offering his hand. "Looks like our half an hour is up."

Maybe it's because I'm still completely confused by this entire exchange, but I accept his hand and he pulls me to my feet.

"See," he says looking over at me once and letting my hand go, "Look how much we learned about each other in just half and hour, Clarissa."

I walk beside him to the bus and climb on before plopping back down onto my seat. I'm not sure if his crafty comebacks and that confident air about him annoys me, or if I'm finding it more refreshing than my brain wants to admit.

Everyone gets onto their seats on the bus and Jace sits down on his two seats behind me. I'm glad he didn't take my willingness to actually hold a conversation with him as OK to plop himself down next to me.

Half an hour passes as we make our way closer to the final stop in California. I close my eyes and before I know it I am drifting off to sleep listening to the muffled sound of headphones behind me.

_A BIG thank you to those who actually read this and hopefully enjoyed it! Please leave a review!_

_-iWriteCrosslegged_


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